Our story
A family tradition for over 25 years.
The Story of the Name Zinda
A word with three roots and a family.
First, the combination of three girls' names: Zineb, Houda, and Yousra. Three sisters, a visionary father, one shared story. Then, an echo of the Arabic language, that of our Moroccan roots, where the word "Zine" evokes beauty.
Finally, a broader resonance: through its Indo-European linguistic roots, "Zinda" evokes vitality, dynamism, and the will to live. The beauty of being alive. As a family. All together. That's what we put into every grain.
First manufacturer in the world to infuse couscous
Made in Quebec, From Canadian wheat
Natural flavors, no sodium, low fat
Quick to prepare, versatile, affordable
Bringing people together around the table
At Zinda, we believe that the best moments are shared around a good meal. Since our beginnings, our mission has been to make couscous accessible to all families by offering quality, tasty, and easy-to-prepare products. We are proud to be the only couscous brand made in Canada, in our Candiac, Quebec factory, from carefully selected Canadian wheat.
Each recipe is designed to simplify daily life without ever compromising on taste. Whether for a weeknight meal, a quick lunch, a side dish, or a sharing platter, our products make cooking easy while offering a rich flavor experience. We believe that a meal doesn't have to be complicated to be memorable.
Over the years, Zinda has become much more than a couscous brand. It's a family business that puts its expertise at the service of Quebec and Canadian consumers. We draw inspiration from culinary traditions from here and elsewhere to create products that bring people together, no matter the occasion. Behind every tray and every sachet is the desire to offer a practical solution that makes people want to share a meal with family or friends.
Today, our commitment remains the same: to offer quality products, made locally with carefully chosen ingredients, so that eating well is simple, accessible, and brings people together. Because beyond couscous, it's the moments spent around the table that truly matter.
What we get from a family — our values
At Zinda, our values are not just words chosen around a boardroom table. They are the values a father passed on to his daughters, those a Moroccan family passed down through three generations, and which we now pass on to you, in every grain of couscous that leaves our Candiac factory.
Simplicity: We believe a truly good meal shouldn't take over your evening. That's why we've spent 26 years making couscous faster, more versatile, more accessible—without ever compromising on taste. It's that simple.
Authenticity: Canadian wheat. Water. A little salt. Real spices. That's the recipe. No endless ingredient lists, no unpronounceable words. What you see is what you eat.
Family Heritage: Three generations of Moroccan savoir-faire, passed down with high standards. A father who dared to combine it with Canadian wheat, three daughters who continue the adventure.
Boldness: Our founder was among the first in the world to infuse couscous—in a country where it was barely eaten. Twenty-six years later, we continue to do it here, in Canada.
The Story of a Visionary Father, Three Daughters, and Expertise from Afar
Long before 1999, three generations of a Moroccan family were already perpetuating the artisanal know-how of couscous, passed down with high standards and a love for good handcrafted work.
In 1999, in Candiac, a man named Majid Jamaleddine asked himself a simple question: what if we made couscous here, with the best wheat in the world—Canadian wheat—faithful to Moroccan tradition? The challenge was immense. At the time, couscous was an almost unknown dish in Canada. No one made it. No one ate it. No one believed in it. Except him. What motivated him was not trends or the market, but the desire to build something great for his three daughters. A legacy. A family project. A bright future. The name Zinda was born from this idea: a contraction of the first names of Zineb, Houda, and Yousra.
The following year, in 2001, The New York Times dedicated an article to the innovation of color-infused couscous. International recognition arrived almost before the equipment was even fully installed. In 2002, the CASCADES "New Business" Award of Excellence confirmed that the idea was sound.
The following years saw the company travel: Bio-Food Export Award of Excellence from Quebec in 2005 and 2006, then the Export-Africa Award in 2009, a Canadian couscous that, in a way, returned to its roots.
In 2015, Zinda brought the production of pearl couscous back to Quebec, which had previously been imported, making it fresher and more responsible. In 2020, the brand achieved full national presence: Metro, Maxi, Provigo, Super C, Loblaws, Shoppers, Walmart, Giant Tiger, Costco. In 2022, Orzo joined the product family, completing the trio of couscous, pearl, and orzo. In 2024, the MercadOr Export Leader Award recognized over 20 years of bringing Quebec know-how beyond borders.
Today, more than 26 years after that initial gamble, Zinda is distributed in over 8 grocery chains across Canada and on several continents. A father who dared. Three daughters who continue. A team that puts its heart into it. And always that authentic, generous, unifying couscous. Simple as that.
"Just one year after our founding, one of the world's largest newspapers dedicated an article to our innovation: color-infused couscous." — The New York Times, 2001
« Un an à peine après notre fondation, l'un des plus grands journaux au monde, le New York Times, consacrait un article à notre innovation : le couscous infusé en couleur. »
En 2015, Zinda a rapatrié au Québec la production de son couscous perlé, jusque-là importé, le rendant ainsi plus frais et plus responsable. En 2020, la marque a atteint une présence nationale complète en se retrouvant chez Metro, Maxi, Provigo, Super C, Loblaws, Shoppers, Walmart, Tigre Géant et Costco. En 2022, l'orzo a fait son entrée dans notre famille de produits, complétant le trio couscous, perlé et orzo. Et en 2024, le Prix MercadOr «Leader à l'exportation» a permis de souligner plus de 20 ans à porter le savoir-faire québécois au-delà des frontières.
Aujourd'hui, plus de 26 ans après ce pari initial, les produits Zinda sont distribués dans plus de huit chaînes d'épiceries à travers le Canada ainsi que sur plusieurs continents. Un père qui a osé. Trois filles qui poursuivent l'aventure. Une équipe qui met du cœur à l'ouvrage. Et un couscous toujours authentique, généreux et rassembleur. Simple de même.
Our team (or the Zinda family)
A Passion Passed Down, Expertise Shared
Behind every Zinda product is a team of passionate individuals who work every day with the same goal: to offer quality couscous that families can be proud of. From ingredient selection to manufacturing, and the development of new recipes, each team member contributes to perpetuating the expertise that has made Zinda famous for over 25 years.
A family business deeply rooted in Quebec, Zinda relies on collaboration, innovation, and attention to detail. Each product is the result of collective work where experience is combined with new ideas to meet the needs of today's consumers. This company culture fosters proximity, trust, and a constant desire to improve, both in manufacturing processes and in the customer experience we offer.
At the heart of this team is the founding family, which ensures the preservation of the values that have guided the company since its inception. Surrounded by committed collaborators, they continue Zinda's development by remaining faithful to its mission: to offer tasty, accessible, and locally made products. Together, they help promote a Quebec brand that brings people together around simple, authentic, and flavorful meals.
The Founders
The Founder — "The one who said, 'Why not?'"
Majid Jamaleddine, Fondateur
Majid Jamal Eddine, Founder
In 1999, in a country that knew almost nothing about couscous, Majid Jamaleddine made a daring bet: to bring Moroccan family expertise, passed down for three generations, and combine it with the best raw material available—Canadian wheat. A man of challenges, a visionary, and passionate, he built Zinda stone by stone, grain by grain, with a single idea in mind: to build a beautiful future for his three daughters and, in doing so, offer Quebec families an authentic, generous, and unifying couscous. Thank you, Dad.
Fun fact: he named his company by combining the first names of his three daughters—without telling anyone. We found out later.
La relève & l'équipe
La relève — Les trois Z
Zineb, Houda et Yousra
Zinda, c'est l'amalgame de trois prénoms. Zineb, Houda et Yousra. Trois sœurs, trois caractères, trois façons de faire, et beaucoup de discussions animées autour d'une table (ou d'un plat de couscous). Ce qui nous rassemble ? L'envie de continuer ce que notre père a commencé en 1999, avec la même passion et la même exigence. On préfère la discrétion à la lumière des projecteurs, mais sachez qu'à chaque étape, du choix du blé jusqu'à la barquette qui arrive chez vous, il y a un peu de nous trois. Ensemble. Depuis toujours.
L'équipe
Derrière chaque grain qui arrive dans votre panier, il y a tout une équipe (dont on ne mettra pas les photos ici, parce que ça en ferait vraiment beaucoup!). Nos artisans en production, nos gestionnaires, notre équipe de recherche et développement, notre service à la clientèle, nos livreurs, nos gens du bureau et nos électromécaniciens, nos pompiers de l'ombre, ceux qui éteignent les feux pour que les machines ne s'arrêtent jamais. Ils goûtent tout ce qui sort d'ici, vraiment tout, et ils ont un droit de veto sur toutes les nouveautés. Rien ne passe s'ils ne sont pas convaincus que ça en vaut la peine.
We're here for you!
We've never forgotten that we started in a kitchen, as a family. That's why we respond to every message as if a neighbor were knocking on our door. Our team will get back to you within 24 to 48 hours. We promise.